December 2009

Religions for Peace Officers Visit Rissho Kosei-kai

On December 2, Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, assistant secretary-general of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, and Ms. Katerina Ragoussi, associate director of Youth and Network Coordination of Religions for Peace, visited Rissho Kosei-kai headquarters in Tokyo and conferred with President-designate Kosho Niwano in a conference room of the Great Sacred Hall. The meeting was also attended by Rev. Koichi Matsumoto, director of Rissho Kosei-kai's Youth Department.

The two Religions for Peace officers were visiting Tokyo to attend the Religious Youth Summit for Disarmament and Development, organized by the Youth Committee of Religions for Peace Japan.

Rev. Sugino reported on the recent activities of the Global Youth Network of Religions for Peace and expressed his gratitude for Rissho Kosei-kai's support. He proceeded to explain the "Arms Down! Campaign for Shared Security," the first global youth-led interfaith campaign for disarmament and the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals, and asked for Rissho Kosei-kai's further assistance. President-designate Niwano responded by expressing her hopes for the campaign, saying she believed it was a blessing for Rissho Kosei-kai youths to find allies in their work for peace.

Then the officers moved to the administration building of Rissho Kosei-kai and met with the chair of Rissho Kosei-kai's board of trustees, Rev. Yasutaka Watanabe; Rev. Takeshi Kawabata, director of the General Affairs Bureau; and Rev. Matsumoto. Rev. Watanabe praised the religious youths promoting the disarmament campaign and emphasized the importance of instilling in people of faith the right values for guiding the world toward peace. He promised Rissho Kosei-kai's further support of the campaign, saying that it was hoped that many people in the world would witness the fact that religious youth around the world were supporting one another and becoming good friends through working together for the campaign's success.

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